Myke’s Pizza

Starting in 2016, some of the best pizza in the Valley could be found two nights a week in downtown Mesa at a sidewalk pop-up run by a guy named Myke Olsen. These days, some of the best pizza in the Valley can be found inside Cider Corps, where Olsen moved his operation in 2019. […]

Native New Yorker

Everyone and their mother goes here for the delicious and many-flavored hot wings, and we admit we’ve had them, and they’re amazing. But we really dig the Spinach Artichoke Dip, delivered piping hot and topped with bubbly cheddar cheese and served with crisp tri-colored tortilla chips. We like to eat it with the Loaded Steak […]

Native New Yorker

Everyone and their mother goes here for the delicious and many-flavored hot wings, and we admit we’ve had them, and they’re amazing. But we really dig the Spinach Artichoke Dip, delivered piping hot and topped with bubbly cheddar cheese and served with crisp tri-colored tortilla chips. We like to eat it with the Loaded Steak […]

Nello’s Pizza

If the moon were to hit your eye and it was a big pizza pie, you could be at Nello’s. We don’t think Frank was singing about it, but we think he’d be happy munching on some of the food that they’ve been serving for more than 25 years in the Phoenix area. The Tempe […]

Nile Theater

After spending several years as a fundamentalist church and bookstore, the historic Nile Theater has made a triumphant return as one of the Valley’s premier concert halls. With both its rough-and-tumble (which contributed to the Nile’s being shut down in 2002) and God-fearing days firmly in the past, this all-ages establishment in downtown Mesa has […]

Nunthaporn’s Thai Cuisine

It seems like everyone has their own favorite place to grab Thai food in town, but if you seek fresh, flavorful Thai cuisine you absolutely have to try Nunthaporn’s Thai Cuisine in Mesa. You might think all pad Thai is created equal, but once you try Nunthaporn’s you’ll know what the dish should be. Feel […]

O’Kelley’s Sports Bar & Grill

A touch of the Irish in south Mesa, O’Kelley’s is a dark-wooden pub that boasts 50-plus televisions, a regular gaggle of bar patrons, a pool table, darts, golf arcade, and full menu. It also hosts local rock bands on Fridays and Saturdays and karaoke on Mondays and Thursdays. Craft beer and poker are the way […]

Oregano’s

If you go to Oregano’s, go hungry. Or take friends. Even the salads at this mini-chain are beyond gigantic. The thin-crust pizza is a crowd pleaser, and the menu is packed with cute word plays (we love the ad campaign, which includes billboards with sayings like “Legalize Marinara”) and a selection of pasta, sandwiches, wings […]

Organ Stop Pizza

The star of this mammoth, family-friendly, 700-seat operation is the mighty Wurlitzer organ, lovingly restored to 1927 power. Eat pizza, pasta, and sandwiches while the house organists go through their repertoire. The experience is as corny as Kansas in August, and just as wholesome.

Original Cuisine

If you’ve ever spent time eating in China, the aromatic dining room of Original Cuisine will bring you back. The Mesa eatery’s exterior is unassuming, but inside its busy, welcoming, and modern. The menu leans Szechuan-style; items include Chongqing lo mein, spicy duck wings, breaded spareribs, stone pot-braised tofu, black pepper beef, and kung pao […]